I. ˈdrōv noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English drāf, from drīfan to drive — more at drive
1. dialect England : an unimproved road used mainly for driving cattle
2.
a. : a crowd or group of people especially when acting, following, or moving in concert or in a docile manner as if in a herd
they repaid him by voting in droves as he directed — Paul Blanshard
b. : a large group of animals especially when moving or being driven in a body
bees … flew in droves about her head — Sherwood Anderson
also : a group of things moving in this manner
icebergs … often came in large droves — Valter Schytt
3. : a flock or herd of livestock especially when being driven
4.
a. also drove chisel : a stonecutter's chisel about two inches wide used in forming a grooved surface or a roughly shaped finish in preparation for the finer work to follow — called also boaster
b. also drove work : the grooved surface of stone finished by the drove chisel
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: probably back-formation from drover
intransitive verb
Britain : to follow the occupation of a drover
he learnt to ride while droving on the plains — A.B.Paterson
transitive verb
1. Britain : to drive (as cattle or sheep) to pasture or to market
2. Britain : to finish (as stone) with a drove
III.
past & archaic past part of drive